You are now the Governor!

[MadVlad]

You throw your hat into the ring as a Gubenatorial candidate as a joke. The day before the election, something happens, all the other candidates decide to elope and move to Fiji together, or they valiantly sacrifice themselves to save the State from the Mongol hordes from Massachusetts. So, by default YOU become the Governor. What do you do first?

[mikel]

Correct me if I'm wrong please, but Jodi Rell currently has very little power to do much of anything since the State House and Senate are controled by Democratic veto-proof majorities, right?

[MadVlad]

The question posed was not what Jodi Rell can or can't do, but you would hypothetically do.

[drc72]

Probably try to make the state more business friendly, but mikel is right with a democratic majority I don't see that happening.

[runawayjim]

better public transit, connect hartford to new haven by rail, turn 6 into a limited access highway all the way from hartford to providence.

[HartfordTycoon]

better public transit, connect hartford to new haven by rail, turn 6 into a limited access highway all the way from hartford to providence.

[mikel]

I'd rather just add a rail line to Providence than a highway. It's not a big truck route, so it would be utilized really only by travelers. Which makes perfect sense to use rail instead, it would be a fraction of the environmental impact and the rail bed is already there.

For those headed to Cape Cod by car, I-84 to the Mass Pike is still a better idea instead of sending them through downtown Providence, so a highway is really unnecessary.

[HartfordTycoon]

I'd rather just add a rail line to Providence than a highway. It's not a big truck route, so it would be utilized really only by travelers. Which makes perfect sense to use rail instead, it would be a fraction of the environmental impact and the rail bed is already there.

For those headed to Cape Cod by car, I-84 to the Mass Pike is still a better idea instead of sending them through downtown Providence, so a highway is really unnecessary.

[runawayjim]

I'd rather just add a rail line to Providence than a highway. It's not a big truck route, so it would be utilized really only by travelers. Which makes perfect sense to use rail instead, it would be a fraction of the environmental impact and the rail bed is already there.

For those headed to Cape Cod by car, I-84 to the Mass Pike is still a better idea instead of sending them through downtown Providence, so a highway is really unnecessary.

[mikel]

I'm 100% for improved rail connections, but I am very much a car driving person. I don't apologize for it. I would love to be able to get in my car and drive straight to PVD in under an hour.

[runawayjim]

The cost and environmental impact does not outweigh the benefits of shaving 15 minutes off that ride. Providence and Hartford are too far from each other for commuting, and besides that, there really wouldn't be enough traffic on a highway to warrent it.

495 gets backed up at the same place 195 connects with it, near the bridge. I still don't think that route would ever be faster from Hartford.

[HartfordTycoon]

if providence and hartford were connected by a limited access highway instead of what is currently 6 (which is already a limited access highway between columbia and north windham and between 95 and 295 in RI), the trip between hartford and providence would probably be about an hour. it would give people better living options between the cities to commute, not necessarily commuting from hartford to providence or vice versa.

as for going to the cape... think about it... rather than driving north just to drive south again, the route would be much more direct at the same speeds... meaning the travel time would be less. exit 11A on the pike (the 495 exit) gets backed up all the time as it stands. in the summer, it really gets backed up. this would keep you off the pike, and once the 195/95 interchange in providence is complete, which will happen before there's ever a highway between providence and hartford, the traffic in providence won't be as bad as it is now. plus they're re-working route 6 in providence as well.

providence and hartford are the 2 closest major cities without a major highway connecting them.

[runawayjim]

I agree with you. If there was a real highway between Hartford and Providence it would open up a world of economic opportunity for the the entire region in between the two.

[HartfordTycoon]

the one benefit to not having the highway between them is that there's almost no sprawl between them. that would surely change if a highway were built.

[runawayjim]

Of course it would. That would be the downside. However, that is what zoning boards are for. I would imagine a lot housing would be proposed along the corridor though, which I agree could be too much.

[HartfordTycoon]

and following housing... walmart.

[mikel]

That highway would be about as empty as route 2 was before the casinos. And route 2 still connected Hartford to closer places like Norwich, New London, the beaches, Misquamicut, etc. It would be absolutely deserted all the time and mainly used to test how fast your car could go, like Route 2 mainly was before the casinos. Which is why it would never be built. Face it, if it wasn't built before now, it won't ever be built. Nor should it.

[runawayjim]

It's a double edged sword. It could also have the effect of fueling growth in both metros by creating a high growth area between the two. I would bet some of the larger towns would be in favor of it and the smaller ones could possible be opposed to it.

[runawayjim]

That highway would be about as empty as route 2 was before the casinos. And route 2 still connected Hartford to closer places like Norwich, New London, the beaches, Misquamicut, etc. It would be absolutely deserted all the time and mainly used to test how fast your car could go, like Route 2 mainly was before the casinos. Which is why it would never be built. Face it, if it wasn't built before now, it won't ever be built. Nor should it.

[HartfordTycoon]

i think the one town/city that could stand to gain the most is willimantic. but the other towns would definitely be opposed. it's really not a bad route between providence and 395, but once it gets to the other side of 395, it's all over the place and not all that direct (although much more direct than the current highway route between the 2 cities).

something else i'd do as governor is push for more casino money to be used to help the towns and cities that are most affected by the casinos, norwich and new london for instance.

[PCGrad02]

If you're going to send it to Willi, you might as well take it all the way to 395. The towns in the NE section of the state have more of a connection to Worcester than Hartford. Route 11 is supposed to be completed in the next decade or so, it will connect with 95 around the 395 interchange.

[MadVlad]

I Governor MadVlad, do hereby proclaim the following improvements will be pushed through the legislature:

-Improved Mass Transit: I would create commuter rail linking all the major cities in the State and work to tie those in with existing rail lines. The New Haven-Hartford-Springfield Corridor would be tied into development along the stops for those cities. The State would set up grants for residential development in New Haven, Meriden, Hartford, and Enfield. We would encourage heavy residential in the immediate proximity of the stations in those cities, encouraging a walking environment. I would look into building other lines from Hartford to Danbury along the median of I-84, and Hartford eastward also along I-84 or I-384. Development would also be included along these routes in Waterbury, Danbury, Bristol, New Britain, Manchester, and Willimantic. Development would be looked into for the shoreline cities of Stamford, Norwalk, Bridgeport, and New London (Norwalk and Stamford seem to be doing ok on their own).

-Tribal help: I would work with the Indian Casinos to encourage development in areas other than the Southeast corner of the State. I would look into the feasability of Casinos in downtown Bridgeport and Hartford.

-Vacation destination: I would embark on an aggressive marketing campaign for the State and Bradley Airport. I would include things that aren't even in the State such as Proximity to Vermont skiing, the Basketball Hall of Fame, and Great Adventure.

-Sound ideas: I would work with the State of New York to help improve the quality of the Sound even more than we already are.

-Bradley Airport: I would free Bradley of it's DoT shackles and let it fly free to become the jewel of the State that it truly should be.

-Business adventures: I would embark on a business-friendly approach. I would create a business liaison to see what other areas of the country do to draw business' and give him the power to try and enact some policy. I would encourage current business' to communicate with what they need to help grow the State's economy and draw more business here. I would speak with the Indians and try to work out a deal. More business' mean more residents, means more potential customers for the casinos. I would target a specific business and try to lure that type of business, just like Des Moines did when they tried to suck away all our insurance jobs. How about security software firms?

-Arena: I would assist the City of Hartford in securing funds for a new, State of the Art arena in the hopes of drawing another pro-sports franchise to the City, and the State.

More to come when I think of it.

[mikel]

I would immediately implement strong green belt laws around our cities, to effectively end sprawl in the state.

[JimSawhill]

You throw your hat into the ring as a Gubenatorial candidate as a joke. The day before the election, something happens, all the other candidates decide to elope and move to Fiji together, or they valiantly sacrifice themselves to save the State from the Mongol hordes from Massachusetts. So, by default YOU become the Governor. What do you do first?

[JimSawhill]

better public transit, connect hartford to new haven by rail, turn 6 into a limited access highway all the way from hartford to providence.